Message from the Mayor

On behalf of City Council, I am pleased to present to you the City of Thunder Bay Climate Adaptation Strategy.In recent years, we have seen that the impacts of climate change can be costly to the community as a whole as we experienced major storms with large hail and extreme winds in 2011, the extreme weather event that caused the City to declare a state of emergency in 2012, major snow storms in the springs of 2013 and 2014, and extreme cold temperatures that added stress on our water utilities during the past two winters.

Message from the Mayor

With extreme weather events becoming more and more common, the City of Thunder Bay is recognizing the need to plan for climate change impacts and is emerging as a regional leader in climate adaptation. This strategy is about becoming climate-ready to protect our city, our homes, our natural surroundings, and our well-being.

The goals, objectives, and actions presented in this strategy will guide the City of Thunder Bay as we prepare for, respond to, and recover from the impacts of climate change. These are both achievable and necessary if we are to become more resilient to the new challenges we face as a result of changing weather patterns.

In 2014, the City of Thunder Bay answered a call-to-action from the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative to demonstrate the City’s commitment to climate adaptation action within the Great Lakes basin.

A prosperous and more resilient city doesn’t come from a plan, but through acting on it. That is why one of the goals of the City of Thunder Bay 2015-2018 Corporate Strategic Plan is to become a leader in climate change adaptation. Our Council and City Administration recognize the need to act on climate change impacts and this commitment is reflected in this strategy. With the support of the community, I believe that Thunder Bay can truly become a climate-ready city.

I hope that while you learn what the City is doing to adapt to climate change, you will also be inspired to take action. Together, we can continue to transform our city to make it its best.

Mayor Keith Hobbs
City of Thunder Bay

We live in a beautiful City built on the Canadian Shield, removed from the risks of earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, hurricanes, and sea level rise. We are surrounded by natural resources, agricultural land, forests, and we live on the shore of the largest fresh water lake in the world which provides us with abundant clean drinking water and an amazing quality of life. By proactively planning for climate change, we not only reduce our vulnerabilities, but also position ourselves to become a sustainable and resilient City with a prosperous future.